Can I Challenge a Deportation Liability Notice
If you have been granted New Zealand residence within the previous 10 years and commit a criminal offence you may find yourself liable for deportation.
A deportation notice may also be served on a New Zealand resident if (for example) it was established that residence was obtained by fraud.
Normally, before an immigration officer would consider serving a person with a deportation liability notice they would first write to the person putting them on notice of their potential liability. The immigration officer would also include a template questionnaire which is designed to elicit information about the person’s circumstances, details about their family and of their home country. Some of those questions are particularly relevant to New Zealand’s obligations as a signatory to a number of human rights conventions.
It is for this reason, that the information you provide in response to the questionnaire is very important. We would strongly recommend that you seek legal advice before submitting a response to Immigration New Zealand.
In addition to the personal information you would provide, you may also have the ability to challenge your liability for deportation in the first instance. There are situations where a deportation liability notice may not be lawfully served.
If you are served with a deportation liability notice you must act urgently as you have a very limited period of time within which to take action.
Our immigration lawyers specialise in deportation appeal matters. If you are served with a deportation liability notice please contact one of our lawyers for advice.
